1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming system.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a sheet processing apparatus is configured so that a predetermined number of paper sheets on each of which an image is formed by an image forming apparatus are stacked to be matched, folded, bound, trimmed and such like to form a booklet, and the formed booklet is ejected outside (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2002-87693).
In such sheet processing apparatus, the booklets formed by performing various types of processing on the sheets are nipped by a pair of rollers in a booklet ejection section and ejected out of the sheet processing apparatus, and the plurality of booklets ejected by the booklet ejection section are stacked on an ejected paper stacking section.
However, in such conventional sheet processing apparatus as described above, an open part is provided at a housing to eject the booklets processed by the predetermined processing to the ejected paper stacking section which is provided outside the housing of the sheet processing apparatus, and the booklet ejection section is exposed at the open part. Though there is no specific problem during ejection of the booklets since the booklets are covering the open part, at the rest of the time, such as when the ejected booklets are inspected and when maintenance is performed on the sheet processing apparatus, for example, foreign substances such as tools and components may come into the booklet ejection section from the ejected paper stacking section side. It is not preferable that the foreign substances come into the booklet ejection section because the apparatus itself becomes damaged or causes false operation.